This post is the follow-up to yesterday’s: https://www.florencecallender.com/dreaming-about-children-learning-and-mothersteachers-teaching/

“Life is like a departure lounge. The place you end up depends on which ticket you bought.” ~ Dr. Dion T. Harrigan

When children are born, they each come with their own “equipment.”

Law enforcement officers turn to their fingerprint files when searching for a criminal. The doors to some high-tech offices are now opened by the eye-print of the person seeking access. Blind people identify the person addressing them by their voice-print. An approaching individual can be recognized by his gait. The identity of a dead person may be ascertained by his dentition.

Of the 7+ billion people in the world, each child is born with his/her unique body…brain included. Yes, all brains are the same anatomically. But you know what I mean.

Why is that?

As Jim Rohn would answer to such a question:

I don’t know. That’s just the way it is.

As I sought to help my daughter, KC, not just survive but thrive in school, I discovered one overarching fact.

• Everything matters.

What do I mean by everything?

All the faculties by which we perceive stimuli both outside and inside the body, aka our senses.

We take in the world…information, experiences, etc…through our senses:

• Sight
• Hearing
• Touch
• Taste
• Smell

The brain then processes and interprets the stimuli it received through those five avenues. The completeness of the signal the brain receives depends on the integrity of the channels along which it travels.

Here are some of the things I learned along my journey with KC?

1^st Lesson

In the process of acquiring knowledge, the visual is learned before the verbal. In fact, 90% of what we take in is visual.

Application

I needed to check KC’s vision – both acuity and visual processing. In other words, how sharp was her vision, as well as what was her brain doing with what it perceived? Accurate visual processing is vital for reading.

2^nd Lesson

The auditory system organizes the body. Similar to vision, the perception of sound (hearing) is different from the processing (auditory processing) of it.

Application

Find out how KC’s brain interprets the sound stimuli it receives. Interruptions in auditory processing are similar to interference in the reception of a cell phone. Some messages are misinterpreted while others do not get through at all.

3^rd Lesson

For all children, touch and movement are essential for learning. That’s why babies put everything in their mouths. The ear houses both the organ of hearing and of balance (movement). Any deficiency in the operation of one affects the other. And get this – reading involves eye movement.

Application

Observe KC’s balance and movement. Look for inconsistencies like passing her hand along the walls whenever she walked. Check her pencil grip and handwriting.

4^th Lesson

Proper nutrition is crucial for optimal learning. Garbage in…garbage out. Food causes chemical changes in the brain.

Application

Implement a balanced eating plan, and check KC’s response to various types and consistencies of foods.

5^th Lesson

The odors in the child’s environment can enhance or detract from learning.

Application

Always be aware of odors in my home, especially during homework time. Note which smells KC complained about and which she celebrated.

The academic system in most schools still employs a factory model of education. Knowledge is disbursed in a specific manner, and the students are expected to respond in a pre-determined fashion. The child who differs from the “norm[al]” is labeled in a number of ways (depending on the type of deviation).

Those deviations occur because sensation is different for each person, as is brain processing and interpretation.

Are you wondering how my beginning quote applies here?

Your child’s life is about to take off on the airplane of education. You can choose to buy the ticket of learning dis-abilities, or the ticket of learning differences.

If every brain is unique, why are children taught using the same method and required to demonstrate what they have learned in a standardized manner?

Question: How are you going to begin to change the destination of your struggling or failing child?